Tech Briefs

Briefs: Software

Multi-Dimensional Information Visualization Software

DiVisa is a multi-dimensional information visualization tool that en ables researchers to understand the behavior of network data.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Sandia Cooler

Heat exchangers are used for the transfer of heat between two or more media. The media may be separated by a solid wall so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact. Heat exchangers may be used in HVAC systems,...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Ruck Dock Load Carriage Connector System

Soldiers, civilians engaged in activities such as hiking, and public safety personnel engaged in search and rescue missions all require reliable systems for the effective carriage of necessary...

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

4D Printing of Load-Bearing and Predictable Structures

Research is being performed in adding a fourth dimension to 3D printers — the dimension of time. This technique, called 4D printing, creates moveable and shape-variable objects, such...

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

RFID System for Management of High-Risk Materials

For years, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has been used in a variety of applications, from passports to inventory tracking. Homeland security concerns have heightened the...

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Wireless Damage Location Sensing System

NASA Langley Research Center researchers have developed a wireless, open-circuit SansEC (Sans Electrical Connections) sensor that can be used for pharmaceutical applications without the need for...

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Machine Vision System

A number of instruments have been built to obtain range images — a two-dimensional array of numbers that gives the depth of a scene along many directions from a central point in the instrument. Instead of measuring...

Briefs: Imaging

Lock-In Imaging System for Detecting Disturbances in Fluid

NASA's Langley Research Center has developed an aircraft-based turbulence and vortex detection system. Turbulence and vortices in the front-flight path are very dangerous for...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Reducing Inaccuracies in Force/Haptic Feedback Systems

Researchers at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center have developed a new technology to reduce inaccuracies in force/haptic feedback devices and systems. Used at NASA in aircraft...

Briefs: Imaging

Curved Sensor Improves Image Quality Captured with Digital Cameras

In dark environments, it is often difficult to get a clear, high-quality image. To address this problem, a method was developed for spherically curving the flat image sensors...

Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing

Electrochemical Method for Removing Pollutants from Water

When removing very dilute concentrations of pollutants from water, existing separation methods tend to be energy- and chemical-intensive. A new method was developed that could provide...

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Structural Health Monitoring System/Method Using Electroactive Polymer Fibers

NASA's Langley Research Center has developed a novel polymer material that can be utilized as a real-time structural health monitoring sensor. The material is...

Briefs: Imaging

Algorithm Enables Five-Dimensional Imaging in Living Organisms

Researchers use fluorescent imaging to locate proteins and other molecules in cells and tissues by tagging the molecules with dyes that glow under certain kinds of light — the...

Briefs: Materials

Adhesive Strength Enhancement of Shape Memory Polymer Composite and Metal Joint

NASA Langley Research Center has developed technology to increase the adhesive strength between shape memory polymer composites (SMPs) and metal alloys. Shape...

Briefs: Communications

Personal Annunciation Device (PAD)

Many industrial and commercial plants, government and private research facilities, and industrial facilities perform potentially dangerous processes. Automated warning and alarm systems alert personnel to...

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Ultrasonic Transducer Delivery Tool

Stennis Space Center has the need to measure the inner wall thickness of cryogenic storage tanks without entering the inner tank of the double-walled vessels. It was proposed that an ultrasonic probe be...

Briefs: Medical

Graphene-Based Sensor for Improved Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Asthma

Asthma, which causes inflammation of the airway and obstructs airflow, affects about 300 million people worldwide. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing,...

Briefs: Communications

Mobile Underwater Acoustic Communications

Reliable, long-range acoustic communications (LRAC) is an enabling technology for numerous applications of manned and unmanned underwater systems. For example, with the capability of communicating at...

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Nanofabricated Devices Detect Ultrasound with Light

The Micro-ring resonator detector can determine the speed of blood flow and the oxygen metabolic rate at the back of the eye. This information could help diagnose such common and...

Briefs: Materials

System for Repairing Cracks in Structures

NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed an innovative coating to heal cracks in metal components, such as in aircraft and bridges. Currently, the coating is used for in-laboratory repairs of...